Sheet-metal end eor railway cars



Apr. 3, 1923.

1,450,255 G. G. GILF'IN SHEET METAL END FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Oct. 1, 1920 2 sheets-sheet i GOOOGQGOQQ FIGJ flue/2167' aaagwh Apr. 3, 1923.. 1,450,255

G. G. IGYILPIN SHEET METAL END F'OR RAILWAY CARS Filed Oct. 1, 1920 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

UNITED STATEt'i PATENT OFFICE.

GARTH G. GILPIN, OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'OR 'IO WALTER P. MURPHY, OF

' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHEET-DIETAL END FOR RAILWAY CARS.

. Application filed October 1, 1920. Serial No. 413,986.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GARTH G. G'ILPIN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverside, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal Ends for Railway Cars, of which the followingis a specification. I

This invention-relates to improvements in end structures for railway cars and more particularly to sheet metal ends for freight cars. I

The end of a freight car is subject to very severe shocks and stresses on account'of the tendency of the cargo to shift when the train starts and stops. and in switching and also to the tendency of the superstructure of the car to weave while the train is in motion. To strengthenthis type of car, ends have been constructed of one or more sheets or panels of metal, usually steel, which sheets or panels are formed with corrugations for rigidifying the structure to more readily meet impacts from without, cargo thrusts from within, and the racking strains from weaving.

It is the object of this invention to provide an end of the sheet metal type which is adaptable to either wooden car frames or all metal freight 1 cars and that may' be employed for strengthening gondola cars, box cars, or other similar cars. It is a further object of this invention to provide the sheets or panels of the end with. corrugations of particular contour that from their form and duration are peculiarly adapted to meet the stresses and strains already described. While the corrugations are preferably formedparallel, their rela- 40 tion to each other or theirdir eotion is immaterial, likewise the corrugations may be all pressed from one side of the sheet of metal or maybe formed from opposite sides, as desired.

While the preferred form of this invention is illustrated upon the accompanying sheets of drawings, yet it is to be understood that minor detail changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in end elevation of a box car illustrating an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a view in horizontal section through the end taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, illustrating the attachment of the end to a car having a wooden frame.

Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view in front elevation of a fragment of the corner of an end sheet or panel, partly in section.

Figure '7 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 77' of Figure 6, looking in. the direction of the arrows, with the parts beyond the line shown partly in erspective and partly in section.

The box car end, as illustrated, comprises two or more sheets or panels 1, preferably of pressed steel, which are attached to the corner posts, end plate and end sill in the usual manner. Figure 2 illustrates a means of attaching the panels to a wooden corner post 2 by flanging the ends of the panel and securing the flanges to the post.

A plurality of parallel strengthening corrugations or ribs are formed in each panel 1 which merge at their ends into the plane of the panel so that the panel has a fiat marginal portion about its edges. 7

In the form shown in Figure 2 the ribs or corrugations are all struck from the same side of the metal plate and, while shown in Figure 3 as being of such proportion that only two extend outward from the exterior surface of the panel, the dimensions or number of such ribs or corrugations may be varied without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Each rib is formed with main walls 3 making, in cross section, similar oppositely disposed angles to the perpendicular to the plane of the panel which walls are alternately connected on opposite sides by portions 4 and 5, preferably of much greater width than the depth of the walls and, in cross section, formed on arcs of similar radii. The contour of the panel at the center is shown in Figure 3 from which it is seen that the main walls 3 are substantially flat, equal in depth, the alternating walls substantially parallel and equidistant with the alternating oppositely disposed con necting portions' i and 5 of substantially equal width. This contour is continued constantly from the center for an equal distance towards each end then the depth of each rib on each side thereof decreases constantly until the main walls and connecting portions merge into the panel. The main walls decrease in area from the portion of constant contour at'the center to the end and maintain substantiallythe same angular relation to the panel throughout. The connecting portions 4 on the exterior surface of the panel increase constantly in width in proportion to the decreasing depth from the constant contour to the ends while the inner oppositely disposed connecting portions 5 maintain a constant width throughout, and,

in this form, lie substantially in theplane of the panel, as shown in'Figure 2 and also in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the curved surfaces of the connecting portions flattening out as they approach the margin of the panel into which they merge, as shown in Figs. 3, 4c

and 5.

-A woodenlining 6 is preferably provided upon the interior o'f'theend and a number of filler blocks 7 are'received within and atstrength from ends to center but its maximum strength is maintained for a considerable distance on each side of the center, furthermore, forming the connecting portions of greater width than the depth oi the ribdisposes a greater amount of metal at a distance from the neutral axis than in contiguous continuously curved corrugations or ribs of the same depth, and thereby increases the structural strength of the panel. The forming of the connectingportions on the arc of a circle not only gives additional strength from this arched or bridged like construction but also allows of the constant pressing of panels without the dies becoming worn and thereby insuring a uniform product and by maintaining the width of the inner connecting portions 5 constant and substantially inthe plane of the panel, the pressing is greatly facilitated.

What I claim is:

1. Ametal panel 'for car ends having a plurality of ribs formed therein, said ribs having main walls and portions connecting the main walls on alternate sides of the panel, one of said portions maintaining a constant width throughout and other portions maintaining a constant 'widthequidistantly on each side of the center for a short distance and then increasing in width towards the end, said main walls decreasing in width in proportion thereto until said main walls and connecting portions merge into the panel.

2. A metal panel for car ends having a plurality of ribs formed therein, said ribs having main walls maintaining a constant width and angular relation to the panel for a short distance equidistantly on each side of thecenter and then constantly decreasing in width with substantially the same angular relation, said Walls connected by p01- tions of greater width which width is maintained constant by'one portion throughout and by others throughout the length of the constant portion of the main walls and then increasing constantly towards the ends until said main walls and connecting portions merge into the panel.

3." A metal panel for car ends having a rib formed therein provided with main walls maintaining substantially constant and similar angular relation to the panel throughout, said main walls maintaining a constant width for a short distance equidistantly on each side of the center and then decreasing in width towards the ends, said wallsc'onnected by a portion, arcuate in cross section throughout, of constant width and contour throughout the constant portion of the main walls and then increasing in width and flattening in contour proportionately towards the end until the main walls and connecting portions merge into the panel.

4. A metal panel for car ends having a plurality of ribs formed therein, said ribs comprising main walls varying in width and maintaining a constant angular relation to the panel and arcuate portions connecting said main walls.

5. A metal panel for car ends havinga plurality of ribs formed therein, said ribs comprising main walls varying in width and maintaining a constant angular relationto the panel and arc'uate portions connecting said main walls, the oppositely disposed arcuate portions being equal in width at the center of the panel.

6. A car end comprising a series of panels, each of saidpanels having a pair ofribs formed therein, said ribs having main walls maintaining a constant width and angular relation to the panel equidistantly on each side of the center. then constantly decreasing in width with substantially the same angular relation, said main walls'conne'cted by portions maintaining a constant width equidistantly on each side of the center, then constantly increasing in width to the ends same angular relation, said main Walls conof the rib. nected by portions of greater width than 10 7. A metal panel for car ends having a the main Walls and maintaining a constant plurality of ribs formed therein with main Width equidistantly on each side of the cen- 5 walls maintaining a constant Width and ter, then constantly increasing in Width to angular relation to the panel equidistantly the end of the ribs. on each side of the center, then constantly decreasing in Width With substantially the GARTH G. GILPIN. 

